How to Delay Your Period During Hajj or Umrah
There is no safe and reliable way to completely stop your period once it has already started.
Some methods you might find online, like taking high doses of ibuprofen or using vinegar douches, are not recommended. They are ineffective and dangerous.
Delaying Periods During Hajj/Umrah
There are options to consider for delaying your period during Hajj or Umrah. Period delaying methods aren't foolproof, as breakthrough bleeding can still occur sometimes, but they are effective.
These methods can help delay menstruation; they involve medications and have potential side effects. It's important to approach these methods with caution and with the guidance of a healthcare professional, as a doctor can assess your health and recommend the safest and most effective option for you.
Norethisterone Tablets
You can take charge of your cycle with Norethisterone (period delay tablets). This is a synthetic form of progesterone at a dose of 5mg. You can use norethisterone to delay your period for up to 3-4 weeks, usually for a special event or holiday.
These work by artificially keeping the body's progesterone levels higher for an extended period of time, delaying the onset of menstruation. Menstruation usually occurs when the levels of progesterone in your body drop. The thicker uterine lining can only last for a limited time, though. It is important to note that norethisterone is not a contraceptive, and another form of contraception is still required when using this medication.
Here are some of the features of the period delay tablets:
- The main ingredient is norethisterone
- Can delay periods for 7, 17 or 27 days
- Take 1 pill 3 times a day
- The period should start 2 to 3 days after finishing the course
- Start taking 3 days before the period is due.
- Norethisterone 5mg tablets are available online at Ashcroft Pharmacy
Taking Norethisterone to stop periods
Three days before the anticipated onset of your next menstrual cycle, begin taking one Norethisterone pill (5mg) three times a day. Continue taking the pills until you're ready to start your period again, up to a maximum of 27 days.
If you forget to take a tablet, you can resume taking the prescribed dosage the next day or when your next dose is due. You must avoid taking two doses at once. You can read the patient information pamphlet within your treatment package for further details.
Side Effects of Period Delay Tablets
Although norethisterone typically has minimal side effects, it might cause,
spotting, irregular bleeding, sore breasts, stomach ache, and a lower sex drive
- breast soreness,
- Stomach ache
- Irregular bleeding
- Spotting, and
- Low sex drive
Also, you may notice changes in your appetite and mood. Severe side effects may include blood clots. This is a rare side effect, but you must look out for symptoms such as painful or tender and swollen calf, sudden severe chest pain, severe headache or changes in vision and sudden shortness of breath.
Although rare, norethisterone can worsen migraine, diabetes, asthma and depression, but this risk is generally low for short-term use, and increases with the length of time the medication is used.
Restrictions About Hajj/Umrah During Periods
Women who are menstruating during Hajj or Umrah are not able to perform certain rituals due to being in a state of ritual impurity. Here's a breakdown:
Tawaf (circumambulating the Kaaba): This is a central rite of both Hajj and Umrah, and women on their periods cannot perform it. They must wait until their period is over and they have performed ritual purification (ghusl) before circumambulating the Kaaba.
Sa'i (walking between Safa and Marwa hills): Women on their periods can still perform this rite.
There are other restrictions for women on their periods during Hajj, such as not being able to pray or enter the inner sanctum of the Kaaba.
Last Line
Important things to remember
Start Planning Early: Discuss this with your doctor well in advance of your pilgrimage, ideally 2-3 months before, to allow time for any necessary adjustments to your menstrual cycle. If norethisterone is not suitable, discuss alternative solutions with your doctor.
